1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to beach and pool chairs and chaises and more particularly to a system for retaining a towel covering a beach or pool chair or chaise from being displaced by the wind or the chair occupant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beach and pool lounge chairs and chaises (herein jointly "beach chairs") used on beaches, adjacent swimming pools and on lawns are often covered by beach towels to provide a more comfortable environment in which to relax, avoid the tacky feeling of plastic and the more harsh feeling of wood, and to absorb any perspiration or dripping water. When the beach chair is not occupied, a gust of wind can blow the beach towel from the chair, or crumple it on the chair, so that it has to be realigned with the top surface of the chair, which can be annoying. Also, loose towels can become easily disarranged in use by the chair occupant and by gravity, and can become dirty by falling off the chair.
Clips have been used to keep the towel on the chair as well as covers which fit over the chair.
There is a need for an improved system for retaining a beach towel on an unoccupied beach chair. There is also a need for a pillow to make the chair occupant more comfortable, as well as places for storing audio cassettes, drinks, suntan lotion, reading materials, eye glasses, keys and other items which are useful to the chair occupant.
A preliminary search of the beach chair towel retainer system invention disclosed the following seven U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,747 entitled Bedclothes Clamp, FIGS. 3 and 4, shows a strap for securing a blanket to a bed to prevent a baby's head from slipping under the blanket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,028 entitled Fitted Sheet for Lounge Chair, FIGS. 1-4, shows a fitted sheet for a lounge chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,094 entitled Expandable Terry Cloth Sand or Lawn Chair Cover Having Integrally Formed Pockets shows a terry cloth with pockets for beach chairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,540 entitled Combination Beach Towel and Chair Cover shows a beach towel with attached straps in order to function as a chair cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,288 entitled Lounge Chair Cover shows a lounge chair cover with various pockets including a pillow pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,463 entitled Cover for Lounge Chair shows the use of Velcro fasteners for enclosing pillow and flap pockets of a unitary terry cloth beach chair cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,627 entitled Towel With Releasably Attached Pillow shows a beach pillow Velcro fastener attached directly to a towel with matching Velcro fastener strips.
None of these patents, either alone or in obvious combination, fully satisfies the needs detailed above or discloses the invention as claimed below.